The island of Lana'i is one of the least visited of the main Hawaiian Islands. It rose to fame in the mid 1900's as the site of the worlds largest pineapple plantation. James Dole bought the entire island back in 1922. While there is no pineapple nowadays, the island is still privately owned. It is now geared more towards high priced luxury visitors looking for an exclusive stay away from the crowds.
Two fancy resorts, run by the Four Seasons brand, and the 3,000 or so people it takes to run them are about all that you will find on Lana'i. The 20,000 acres of pineapple fields lay barren, filled in with weeds. But for those in the know, wonderful adventures still abound. And it can often feel like it is your own private island as you are unlikely to run across anyone else, outside of the resorts or town.
I've been running adventure trips to Lana'i for years now, but just recently a new option has appeared. The Lana'i Adventure Center has developed as a one-stop adventure spot, up in the highlands above Lana'i City. They offer a high ropes course, zipline, adventure tower, hikes, and e-bike tours.
The e-bike tours can range from a gentle tour through town, with stops for shopping and touring, to an all out off-road adventure. I chose the second option and was thrilled to hear they were taking us all the way to the 'Garden of the Gods'. It is a spot I had only seen pictures of, since you need a 4X4 to get there.... or an off-road e-bike. 15.5 miles later I had been to the famous spot, enjoyed the overlooks, and taken my group along for a wonderful adventure.
Here is the group at the high point of the Garden of the Gods, looking across the channel at the island of Molokai. The views from Lana'i can be quite breathtaking.
If you are traveling to Maui, then Lana'i is a quick ferry ride away. It is easy to go for the day and enjoy the seclusion, without having to pay the premium to stay there overnight in the Four Seasons. Here's to local knowledge!
We all felt very comfortable on the top-of-the-line, $6,500 e-bikes.
We had beautiful views all around us.
From ranchlands, to quaint churches, you never know what is around the next corner.
The garden of the gods.
Panorama from the first of our viewpoints. We could see Molokai and Maui from here, with a faint outline of Oahu in the distance. I even spotted some whales splashing in the water below.
This otherworldly place is something to see. I think e-bikes might just be the best way to do it.
Thanks Lana'i and the great guides at the Lana'i Adventure Center for this wonderful day!
Dai Mar
Check it out on pinmapple.com here:
[//]:# (!pinmapple 20.88274 lat -157.00330 long Garden of the Gods d3scr)